Will Everson Griffen be better or worse for the Vikings in 2019?

He’s motivated

It’s kind of hard to remember, but it was just a few months ago when many in the media and some fans were screaming for the Vikings to trade or even flat out release Everson Griffen.

They gave his age and salary cap hit as reasons to let the elite pass rusher walk this year. Some even went as far as even saying Minnesota should be willing to take a measly fifth-round draft pick in exchange for one of the best pass rushers the franchise has ever had play for them.

Luckily for the Vikings and Griffen, they reached an agreement on a contract restructure earlier this offseason.

So he’s back with Minnesota at a price that is much more friendly to the team’s tight salary cap situation and the Vikings’ starting defensive line will almost look exactly the same in 2019 as it did a season ago.

Griffen is a prideful player and he knows what was being said of him over the past few months. He certainly heard the rumblings about a possible trade or release and he will likely use that for motivation during the upcoming season.

Griffen will also want to prove to the team that he is worth keeping around and he has plenty left to offer to the defense. This recent negative banter and doubt could be what old No. 97 needed to light a fire under him and possibly lead him to have one of the most productive seasons of his already impressive career.